The University of Southern California and the County of Los Angeles have jointly sponsored development of a comprehensive regional center of excellence focused on the problems of cancer. The center includes programs of basic research, clinical care, clinical research, education and community service. Assessment of the current cancer research, education and care activities of the faculty has revealed that USC now conducts one of the major cancer programs in the country. Programs of the Cancer Center are task oriented, interdepartmental and mutidisciplinary. They are conducted by the faculty and staff of the Medical School, its affiliated hospitals and other schools of the University. An organizational structure and an environment has been created which will effectively bring together dedicated basic and clinical cancer investigators and educators to work together on fundamental problems of cancer research, and to facilitate the rapid introduction of new research findings into clinical medicine. The Cancer Center provides a variety of educational opportunities. Cancer Center activities are currently located on the Health Sciences Campus and the University Park Campus of USC and at the LAC-USC Medical Center, the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and many affiliated hospitals.